Illusory display device



Patented Feb. 23, 1937 UNITED STATES ILLUSORY DISPLAY DEVICE ApplicationJuly 15, 1935, Serial No. 31,400

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in display devices and itsprincipal object is to provide a device which will attract greatattention by creating the illusion that the article displayed on thedevice is suspended and moved in space without any support. Anotherobject is to provide a device in which a great variety of movements maybe imparted to the article displaced. A further object is to provide adevice of attractive appearance, which may either be placed on aplatform or suspended by cords from the ceiling, and which can bemanufactured and operated at a comparatively low cost.

These and various other objects and advantages will be readilyunderstood from the following description and from the accompanyingdrawing of a preferred embodiment of the invention, in which, however,modifications may be made without departing from the scope of theappended claims. In the drawing Fig. l is a front view of the displaydevice,

Fig. 2 a rear view, and

Fig. 3 a cross-sectional side view taken on line 33 in Fig. 2.

Referring now to all the views, simultaneously, the device consists of abase IE on which is erected a frame I I. This frame is relatively deepand provided with a plurality of inwardly and rearwardly extending stepsH2. The opening in the frame is shown at l3 and this opening is coveredwith a glass l4 held in a frame [5. The

article It to be displaced is mounted on the front of the glasspreferably by means of a suction cup ll. As this cup is secured on therear of the article it is, of course, hidden from the observer.

A baseboard I8 is placed in the bottom of the device and on this a smallelectric motor I9 is mounted, as is also two pairs of bearings 20 and2|. Shafts 22 and 23 are mounted in these bearings and these shaftssupport a pair of discs 24 and 25 at the outer ends. The discs aredriven from the motor by means of belts 26, 21

5 and 28 which operate on a system of speedreducing pulleys, as plainlyshown in Fig. 3.

As these means of reducing the speed is well known in the art it neednot be described herein in detail, it will be suificient to say that thediscs 24 and 25 are rotated at a relatively slow speed and that theirrotation is synchronized by means of a chain 29. Crank pins 38 and 31are mounted on the discs and engaged in the lower part of the frame 85,as plainly shown in Figs. 2 5 and 3, and the frame is guided between across member 32 and an edge 33 bent upwardly from the frame.

It is evident that when the discs are rotated by the motor, a movementwill be imparted to the glass i l and consequently to any articlesuspended thereon. In the present embodiment the article it will appearto be turning in a circle, as indicated by the dotted representation ofthe article shown at as. When a clear and highly polished glass is used,and the device is placed 1 in front of a correct background, the glassis not visible and the illusion is therefore created that the article issuspended and turned in the air without any support. The depth of theframe further heightens this illusion. The wires from the electric motormay, of course, be concealed by passing them through the platform onwhich the device is located. However, it will be noted that the devicemay also be suspended, either in an upright or inverted position, byhanging it in cords and hiding the electric wires in the cords.

It will also be noted that, while I have shown and described crank discsfor imparting the movement to the glass, cams of various constructionsmay be employed so that a great many variations of motions may beimparted to the glass and consequently to the articles suspendedthereon. It is also evident that the motor and the speedreducing meansneed not necessarily be contained within the device, but might be placedunder the platform on which the device is placed and connected with thecrank discs by a hidden belt. For these reasons, I do not wish toconfine the invention to the preferred embodiment here shown, but intendto construct it in any manner desirable within the scope of the claims.

From the foregoing it will be seen that this device, due to the puzzlingmanner in which the article displayed thereon is suspended and moved,will attract great attention and thus have a real advertising value.Furthermore, the attractive appearance of the whole device further addsto its advertising value.

Having described the invention and its objects, what I claim as new andwish to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A display device of the class described comprising a relatively deepframe having its inner edges flared outwardly from the opening; a

ed to have articles displayed thereon; two holes formed adjacent to oneedge of said sheet; a pair of crank discs mounted within the frames; thecrank pins of said discs engaged in the holes in the sheet; and means,contained wholly within the frame, for rotating said discs in unison soas to impart a translational movement to the sheet and to any articledisplayed thereon.

3. A display device of the class described comprising a relatively deepframe having its inner edges flared outwardly from the opening in aplurality of progressive steps; a transparent sheet movably mounted insaid frame and adapted to have articles displayed thereon; two holesformed adjacent to one edge of said sheet; a pair of crank discs mountedwithin the frames; the crank pins of said discs engaged in the holes inthe sheet; means, contained wholly Within the frame, for rotating saiddiscs in unison so as to impart a translational movement to the sheetand to any article displayed thereon; and the whole device adapted to beplaced on a platform or suspended from a support.

MARSELIUS T. ASHE.

